Background: Visfatin is an adipokine linked to obesity and inflammation, and it has insulin-mimetic properties. Apelin is an adipokine with positive cardiac inotropic effects, and it may be related to inflammatory molecules. Variations in plasma visfatin and apelin levels following bariatric surgery remain controversial.
Methods: In this study, patients who underwent a biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch (BPD-DS) were compared to a severely obese group (control group). Anthropometric measures and blood samples were taken before surgery, on days 1 and 5, as well as at 6 and 12 months after surgery in the BDP-DS group. For the control group, the tests were performed at baseline and at 6 and 12 months.
Results: Seventy subjects in the BPD-DS group and 28 in the control group were included. The expected reduction in body weight at 1 year after a BPD-DS was observed (85.9 ± 18.5 vs. 136.6 ± 27.7 kg at baseline; p < 0.001). Plasma visfatin levels decreased at day 1 (16.13 ± 5.56 vs. 18.82 ± 7.36 ng/mL at baseline; p = 0.001), while plasma apelin levels decreased at day 5 (0.50 ± 0.28 vs. 0.55 ± 0.33 ng/mL at baseline; p = 0.040) after surgery. There were no changes at 6 and 12 months compared to baseline, and no changes were observed in the control group.
Conclusions: Our data show that 1-year weight loss induced by BPD-DS did not influence the overall plasma visfatin and apelin levels in severely obese patients.